Mother Nature Checks In

Wednesday I checked in on Boreal's snowmaking program several times. (Even once during the World Series Game) They never got favorable temps. The nearest PWS at the Central Sierra Snow Lab never recorded a temperature below 39°F.

I looked at the satellite images, and cloud cover was the culprit. As was the case here in the Inland Valley, cloud cover and little wind conspired to keep the heat of the day around overnight.

At 3:30PM Thursday, Boreal's webpage still says they're a go for Friday on the lower portion of their hill, with Top -to-Bottom skiing to commence Friday night.

There's a chance they'll get favorable temperatures Thursday night. Reno's AFD says the clouds will clear and the mercury will drop over night.

As I write this afternoon, I'm watching MLB TV's Batting Practice Show from AT&T Park. The long wide Blimp shots show the cloud cover wall to wall. The announcers at the park just reminded viewers that rain is forecast in the Bay Area for later tonight. (At noon the KTVU2 WeatherDude said the showers would stay north of the Bay for the most part, and only occasional sprinkles would visit tonight's game) MLB TV is another Eastern Media Outlet that can't be expected to understand the capricious nature of San Francisco's Fall weather (and forecasting said weather!)...especially with a moderate to strong La Niña holding sway over the Eastern Pacific.


Up in the High Sierra, the webcams at Boreal and Sugar Bowl show partly cloudy skies. Northstar's streaming webcam shows the wind blowing the trees a little under a partly cloudy sky, and a scan of the PWS's shows the afternoon temps in the high 40's to low 50's Up high, winds are in the teens, and down to 4-5mph at the lower, more protected stations.

Now at 4:25PM, Boreal's webcam shows some clearing...the winds must be ushering out the clouds.

4:47AM Update
OK, looking at the Snow Lab's PWS, there's been nary a change in temperature in 12 hours. The mercury is stuck at 39°F Boreal's gonna have to make do with wha they've got.

Not much to see on Boreal's webcam view...so I looked into the latest Reno AFD. The latest word (2:36AM) has the system slowing down with the precip holding off until Saturday morning now.